Sports

Thursday, April 8, 1999

Eagles look to send teams to regionals

PECOS, Apr. 8 -- Since resuming its girls golf program about
a decade ago, the Pecos Eagles have sent only one player
past the district tournament.

Pecos' boys haven't had any interruption in their golf
program, but the last time the Eagles sent a team to
regionals was 1985.

However, on Saturday and Monday, both Eagle teams hope to
qualify 10 players apiece on their `A' and `B' teams for
regionals later this month in San Angelo, when the two-round
District 2-4A Tournament is held at the Reeves County Golf
Course and Vista Hills Golf Course in El Paso.

Pecos hosts the first round, with the girls teeing off at
8:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by the boys at 1 p.m. On
Monday, they'll go to El Paso for the final 18 holes of the
tournament.

The change in districts is why coaches Tina Hendrick and
Kim Anderson are optimistic about sending so many golfers to
regionals. After playing for years in District 4-4A, one of
the toughest Class 4A golf districts in the state, the
Eagles will be competing against teams that have not had
much past success.

"It's not a good golf district," Anderson said. "There's
only one kids out there, I think from Clint, shooting in the
70s, and I believe that's the coach's son.

"I hope we can get both teams to regionals, unless somebody
comes up to beat us," he said. Pecos' `A' squad shot a 296
on their own course this week, and shot a 334 in a practice
round last month at Vista Hills.

"Right now our JV is beating their varsity scores by 30-40
strokes," said Anderson, who has changed his squads a bit
since the Eagles last tournament in mid-March.

Michael Baca and Cortney Freeman have been added to the `A'
team, along with Casey Love, Jason Salcido and Lee Lyles.
Dallas Jarrett, John Granado, Eric Machuca, Tye Edwards and
Jae Ewing will make up the `B' team, while Daniel Munoz and
Patrick McChesney will play as medalists.

Hendrick has kept the same `A' and `B' squads as earlier
this season. Alva Alavarez, who reached regionals as a
medalist last year, Sarah Armstrong, Amanda Stickels, Salem
Mitchell and Cassie Foster make up the `A' squad, which shot
a 764 at Vista Hills in mid-March, finishing fifth overall
but 204 strokes ahead of 2-4A rival Clint.

Candace Roach, Candace Hillard, Brandi Bradley, Kelsey
Riley and Kattie Davis will be on the `B' team. Courtney
Clark is the lone medalist golfer for the girls.

After leaving a district that may have the top two teams in
Class 4A this year in Andrews and Snyder, Hendrick said the
Eagles are going to try and take advantage of their regional
opportunity.

"We're going to try our hardest to get both teams in, but I
don't know what everybody has," Hendrick said. "The only
team we've played against is Clint, and I don't know what
Fabens and Canutillo have."

Hendrick said El Paso Mountain View only has two golfers --
two short of qualifying as a team -- while San Elizario does
not have a high school golf program.

Cowboys accused of salary cap cheating

NEW YORK, Apr. 8 (AP) -- The NFL is investigating
complaints from other teams that the Dallas Cowboys may have
violated the league's salary cap rules, a newspaper reported
today.

The New York Times said the complaints involve three
players: center Mark Stepnoski, wide receiver Raghib Ismail
and linebacker Quentin Coryatt.

Last month, it was reported that the Cowboys had come to
terms on multiyear contracts with the three free agents, but
did not actually sign any of them.

Several teams said they recently contacted agents for the
three, but in each case was told the player was no longer
available.

Some of the teams said they conducted their own
investigations and determined that some sort of arrangement
had been reached between the Cowboys and the three.

At that point, according to the Times, at least several of
the teams complained to the league. They told NFL officials
that they believed the Cowboys had reached a verbal or
written agreement with the three players, but had not signed
them to a contract to circumvent cap rules.

The league then began to explore the situation, according to
team executives, union officials and agents the newspaper
did not identify.

The league offers a $1 million reward for anyone who can
produce proof that a team has violated the cap rules.

If found guilty, the Cowboys could be fined millions of
dollars and be barred, at least temporarily, from using the
players involved.

At least two of the teams that complained believe the
Cowboys may have hidden a deal with the three players
because Dallas did not have room to sign them but wanted to
keep other teams from getting them.

The NFL urges teams to sign a player to a contract as soon
as possible after an agreement has been reached. Once the
signatures are on the contract, the agreement must be
submitted to the league office within 24 hours and every
other team is then made aware of the signing.

Rich Dalrymple, a Cowboys' spokesman, when asked about the
published report, told The Associated Press: ``It's the
first I've heard of it.''

The Times quoted an unidentified Cowboys' spokesman as
saying the team had been contacted by the league regarding
Coryatt and was satisfied with the explanation that he was
at the training facility to visit a friend.

The spokesman said the league had not inquired about the
other two players mentioned.

He told the newspaper the players have not agreed to terms
or signed any contracts and therefore could not have
violated any rules.

The NFL confirmed it is looking into the matter, but had no
other comment.

There currently is no proof the Cowboys have broken any
rules, the Times said.

A telephone call to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello by the AP was
not immediately returned today.